Accounting system



May 16, 1939. JOHNSTONE ET AL 2,158,872

ACCOUNTING SYSTEM Filed NOV. 1'7, 1932 12 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG.

E IIWF/WOAS A TTORA/f) y 1939- H. G. JOHNSTONE ET AL 2,158,872

ACCOUNTING SYSTEM Filed NOV. 17, 1932 12 Sheets-$heet 3 May 16, 1939. H. G. JOHNSTONE El AL 2,158,872

ACCOUNTING SYSTEM Filed Nov. 17, 1952 12 SheetsSheet 4 My 16, 1939. H. G. JOHNSTONE ET AL 2,158,872

ACCOUNTING SYSTEM Filed Nov. 17, 1932 12 Sheets-Sheet 5 12 Sheets-Sheet 6 H. G. J OHNSTONE ET AL ACCOUNTING SYSTEM Filed Nov. 17, 1952 I LzJ 1 Maw m 3 9%. EN mmw m6 May 16, 1939.

VVIW E SQ wvvmvv x w a mw y 1939- H. G. JOHNSTONE ET AL 2,158,872

ACCOUNTING SYSTEM Filed Nov. 1'7, 1952 12 Sheets-Sheet 7 wvmrms bf 62 JOl/MS'I'O/VE J63 6 75; A da/W Arm/m7 y 1939- HJG. JOHNSTONE El AL 2,158,872

ACCOUNTING SYSTEM Filed NOV. 17, 1952 12 Sheets-Sheet 8 Arm/mgr y 1939- H. G. JOHNSTONE ET AL 2,153,872

ACCOUNTING SYSTEM Filed NOV. 17, 1932 12 Sheets-Sheet 9 INVENTORS M 6. JOb'A/SMM J. C. GATES A A-Cum APO/WE) y 939- H. G. JOHNSTONE ET AL 2,153,872

ACCOUNTING SYSTEM Filed Nov. 17, 1952 12 Sheets-Sheet 10 Man 5% wvmroks hi 6'. Jax/zvs'raw' ATTORND y 3 H. G. JOHNSTONE ET AL 2,158,872

ACCOUNTING SYSTEM Filed Nov. 17, 1952 12 Sheets-Shee t 11 .wma. m

NW4 A aw y Patented May 16, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ACCOUNTING SYSTEM Harold G. Johnstone, Chicago, and John 0. Gates,

Downers Grove, Ill., assignors to Western Electric Company, Incorporated, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application November 17, 1932, Serial No. 643,016

12 Claim.

accurate and efficient accounting system.

In accordance with one embodiment of the invention an apparatus is provided for receiving a group of file cards arranged in numerical order and representing an inventory or account, and a second group of item cards arranged in similar order and representing items to be added or withdrawn from the inventory or account. The apparatus has means for selecting similarly identified cards from each group and the information contained on the selected cards is computed and placed on a new card which supersedes the old file card and is filed in its proper numerical order in the group of file cards. The old file cards and the item cards from which the information has been taken are directed to separate receptacles and may be destroyed or preserved for reference as desired.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent by reference to the following specification when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein Fig. l is a fragmentary plan view of that portion of the machine which handles the file cards;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of that portion of the machine which handles the item cards and should be placed below Fig. 1 to form a complete plan view of the item and file card sensing mechanisms in their respective positions;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional view taken along the line 3-3 of Fig. 1 in the direction of the arrowsshowing the structure of the register mechanism;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken along the line 44 of Fig. 1 in the direction of the arrows showing the structural features of the file sensing station;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken substantially along the line 55 of Fig. 1 in the direction. of the arrows showing the file card perforating mechanism and when placed to the right of Fig. 4 will, in conjunction with Fig. 4, show a complete vertical sectional view through the upper portion of the mechanism for sensing the file cards and perforating new file cards. 1

Fig. 6 is an end elevational view of the item card sensing mechanism taken along the line 6-6 of Fig. 2 in the direction ofthe arrows;

Fig. 7 is a vertical sectional view taken sub-' stantially along the line 1-1 of Fig. 2 in the direction of the arrows, and shows the details of the structure of the item sensing station;

Fig. 8 is a vertical sectional view taken along the line 88 of Fig. 5 in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 9 is a vertical sectional view taken along the line 99 of Fig. 4 in the direction of the.

arrows;

Fig. 10 is a sectional view taken along the line I 0l0 of Fig. 3 in the direction of the arrows showing the details of construction of the register mechanism;

Fig. 11 is a fragmentary vertical sectionalview taken along the line i I-l I of Fig. 1 in the direction of the arrows showing in detail the cams for operating the perforating mechanism;

Fig. 12 is a fragmentary sectional View taken along the line l2|2 of Fig. 8 in the direction of the arrows showing the details of construction of a portion of the perforating mechanism;

Figs. 13 and 14 are circuit diagrams which when viewed collectively with Fig. 13 placed above Fig. 14 disclose the electrical connections for controlling the operation of the various parts of the system in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 15 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line |5--l5 of Fig. '1 in the direction of the arrows;

Figs. 16 and 17 are fragmentary sectional views taken along lines l6--I6 and |'|-ll of Fig. 3 in the direction of the arrows, and

Fig. 18 is a timing chart showing the relative time of operation of the various parts of the machine.

In general the mechanism for keeping a constant inventory of stock on hand in a large industrial or commercial institution where a file containing statistical cards is kept having a card therein representing each type of apparatus or raw material carried by the concern forms the subject matter of this specific disclosure. As is usual in accounting systems where statistical record cards are used, each type of apparatus is assigned a separate piece number and the card assigned to a certain type of material or article has perforated thereon information representing the number of parts or articles of that particular type on hand. Whenever a withdrawal or addition is made to a supply of a certain type of article or material, a card is prepared having perforated therein information representing the type of material withdrawn or added together with the quantity withdrawn or added. These cards are sent to the accounting organization wherein the file cards are stored and a new file card prepared after which the superseded file card may be destroyed and the card representing the withdrawal from or additions to stock, which will hereafter be called the item card, may be stored for future reference or may be destroyed and the file will represent the condition of the stock at the time the new file cards are prepared.

In order to accomplish automatically this stockkeeping or posting operation, the file cards are sorted into numerical order with reference to the stock or type identifying number, and the item cards representing stock additions or withdrawals are also sorted into numerical order with reference to the stock or type number and the file and item cards are deposited in separate magazines from which they are withdrawn one at 'a time to sensing stations where they are electrically compared in the following manner: The machine draws an item card into the item sensing station and draws a plurality of the file cards into and through the file sensing station until a file card is found which bears a stock number corresponding to the stock number on the item card whereupon the file card is held in the sensing station and succeeding item cards are withdrawn from their magazine through the item sensing station as long as they bear the same stock number as that inscribed on the file card being held in the file sensing station. As each item card passes out of the sensing station, it adds algebraically upon a register the quantity of the stock movement (addition or withdrawal) as indicated by perforations in an area of the item cards which is different from the area bearing the stock number and then the cards are directed to an item card receptacle.

When an item card is withdrawn from the magazine which does not agree with the file card held in the file sensing station, the file card which had been held in the sensing station passes out of the sensing station and the machine adds algebraically the quantity of stock as represented by perforations therein to the register that the item cards control, and the register will then indicate the quantity of that particular type of stock which is on hand. Without stopping, the filecard continues through a second sensing station which sets up in a punching mechanism all information which is inscribed in the card except that representing the quantity of stock, and simultaneously the register mechanism sets up in the punching mechanism the quantity representing the balance of stock on hand, and anew file card is withdrawn from a third magazine and punched in accordance with the information taken from the register and the superseded file ,card. Those file cards, which have not been superseded due to the fact that no item card was present in the item card magazine carrying a stock number corresponding to the number on the file cards are filed in numerical order and the new file card is interfiled in the final file magazine in proper numerical order with them. The superseded file card, after transmitting all of the information except the quantity of stock on hand to the perforating mechanism, is directed to a separate final magazine and may be destroyed since the file of file cards will represent accurately the quantity of stock of various classifications in numerical order, and the card receptacle containing the item cards which have passed through the machine will contain all of the posted item cards.

The machine disclosed herein is also disclosed in the copending application of H. G. Johnstone, Serial No. 643,018, filed November 1'7, 1932, and issued as Patent No. 2,034,260 on March 17, 1936, wherein certain features, not claimed in this application, are claimed.

Referring now to the drawings wherein like reference characters designate the same parts throughout the several views, particular reference being had to Figs. 1 and 2, there is shown a file card sensing mechanism 1, a file card perforating mechanism 2, an item card sensing mechanism 3, and a register mechanism 4. The register mechanism 4 is shown (Fig. l) as being enclosed in a housing; the details of the register being shown in Figs. 3 and 10. In order to simplify the disclosure, each of the four mechanisms mentioned above will be described as separate units, and the electrical circuits which control the operation thereof will be described in detail in connection with the discussion of the operation of the entire system.

The power supply for driving all of the mechanical units of the system is derived from a motor (not shown) suitabl'y secured to the underside of a base plate I l on which the entire system is mounted. This base plate may be of any suitable type such as a metal table or bench, and the motor may be secured thereto in any known manner for driving a belt 12 which passes around a sheave l3 fixed to a main drive shaft ll.

Secured to the base I l and extending upwardly therefrom are a pair of side plates lland l6 which support the file card sensing mechanism l and file card perforating mechanism 2, and a pair of side plates l1 and III which support the item card sensing mechanism. The main drive shaft II is journaled in the side plates l5 and I6 and through clutch mechanisms and gear trains drives all of the moving parts of the system. Positioned on the main drive shaft ll between the side plates l5 and His a clutch member l9 (Fig. 9) which is pinned to the shaft at 20 and rotates therewith for driving a cooperating clutch member 28 which is slidably keyed at 21 to a collar 28 formed integral with a gear 29 and is freely rotatable on the shaft ll. The left end (Fig. 9) of the collar 28 abuts the right fac of the clutch member l9 and is held in position thereagainst by a collar 30 pinned to the shaft I4 and engaging the right face of the gear 29. A plurality of compression springs 3| normally urge the clutch member 26 to the left and into engagement with the teeth of the clutch member is, the clutch member 26 being held out of engagement with the clutch member l9 by a stop 32 positioned on the armature 33 of an electromagnet 34 mounted upon the upper surface of the base plate I I. The stop member 32 is adapted to engage one of three camming slots 35 formed in the peripheral surface of the clutch member 23 when the magnet 34 is deenergized to cam the clutch member 26 out of engagement with the clutch member l9 and stop the rotation of the gear 23. When the electromagnet 34 is energized momentarily the armature 33 will be drawn downward (Fig. 9) to withdraw the stop member 32 from the canmiing slot 33 thereby to permit the compression springs 3| to'force the clutch member 23 to the left into engagement with the clutch member ID, and as soon as the electromagnet is deenergized the stop member will be permitted 'to move into engagement with the peripheral surface of the clutch member, on which surface the stop member will ride until it strikes one of. the camming slots 35 whereupon it will be forced into the slot and will cam the clutch member 26 to the right out of engagement with the clutch member I9.

Journaled in the side'plates I and I6 is a shaft 4I (Fig. 9) having fixed thereto a gear 43 which meshes with the gear 29 and through the shaft 4I drives a file card sensing head designated generally by the numeral 45. A second gear 46 (Figs. 4 and 9) meshes with the gear 29 and is mounted to rotate upon a stud 41 secured to an upright bracket 48 mounted upon the base II. The gear 46 has pinned eccentrically to the right side thereof one end of a link 49, the other end of which is pivoted intermediate the ends of a lever 50 (Fig. 4) mounted to rock upon a shaft 5| mounted in a base 52 of a file card magazine designated generally by the numeral 53. The lever 50 has pivoted to the upper end thereof one end of a link 54, the other end of which is pivotally secured to a downwardly extending projection 55 of a card feed finger 56 reciprocably mounted in the bottom of the file card magazine 53 and provided with a card engaging portion 51. Upon rotation of the gear 29, it will be apparent that the gear 46 will be rotated about the stud 41, and since the link 49 is pivoted to the gear 46 eccentrically thereof, an oscillating motion will be imparted to the lever 50 which will in turn cause the card feed finger 56 to be advanced to the right (Fig. 4) and retracted to the position shown, once for each complete revolution of the gear 46.

The card engaging portion 51 of the card feed finger 56 is adapted to engage the bottom one of a plurality of cards 66 stacked in the magazine to advance the card to the right (Fig. 4) through a 'slot 61, the vertical dimensions of which may be accurately regulated by means of a barrier 68 adjustably secured to the right side (Fig. 4) of the file card magazine 53 for permitting only one card at a time to be moved from the bottom of the stack in the magazine. Thus, upon momentary operation of the electromagnet 34 the gear 29 will be driven through a part of a revolution to rotate the gear 46 through a complete revolution to cause a reciprocation of a card feed finger 56 to advance the card from the bottom of the stack in the magazine out through the slot 61. It is to be noted at this time that the card is advanced with its "nine" hole position first. The

card, upon being advanced through the slot 61,-

will be moved into engagement with cooperating card feed rollers and 16 (Fig. 4) which will advance the card along a predetermined path as will now be described in detail.

The main drive shaft I4, as will be apparent by reference to Fig. 9, has secured thereto a beveled gear 11 which meshes with a beveled gear 18 secured to a vertically extending shaft 19 joumaled in a bracket 80 secured to the side plate I5. The upper end of the shaft 19 carries a beveled gear 8| which in turn meshes with a beveled gear 82 mounted upon a horizontally extending shaft 83. The horizontally extending shaft 83 (Fig. 1) is mounted in brackets extending outwardly from a main supporting bracket 84 mounted on the side plate I5 and extends substantially the entire length of the side plate I5. This shaft 83 has secured to it a plurality of beveled gears 85, 86, 81, 88, 89, 90, 9|, 92, 93, 94, and 95 (Fig. 1) which mesh with and drive continuously beveled gears 96 to I06,inc1usive, respectively. The gears 96 to I06, inclusive,.are mounted upon shafts I01 to H1, inclusive (Figs.

'4 and 5) respectively, joumaled in the bracket 84 secured to the side plate I5 and a corresponding bracket I I8 secured to the side plate I6.

The card feed roller 15 (Fig. 4) is mounted on the shaft I01 and card feed rollers I to I34, inclusive (Figs. 4 and 5) are mounted on the shafts I08 to H1, inc1usive,respectively. The card feed rollers 15, I21, I28, I29, I30, I3I and I34 have cooperating therewith the card feed roller 16 and upper card feed rollers I35, I36, I31, I38, I39 and I40, respectively, which are mounted on shafts I45, I46, I41, I48, I49, I50 and I5I, inclusive, extending between the brackets 84 and H8. These shafts I45 to I5I are all supported in the same manner and therefore the means for supporting only one of them will be described in detail. For example, the shaft I46 (Fig. 4) is joumaled in a journal block I52 mounted in a slot I53 formed in the bracket II8. A coil spring I54 urges the block I52 downwardly and tends to force the upper card feed roller I into engagement with the lower card feed roller I21. A similar construction is provided in the bracket 84 and the shaft I46 extends into journal blocks mounted in the brackets 84 and H8. The remainder of the upper card feed rollers which cooperate with the lower card feed rollers I25, I26, I32 and I33 will be described in detail hereinafter.

From the description of the apparatus up to this point it will be apparent that a cardv from the bottom of the stack of cards in the file card magazine 53 will be picked up by the card engaging portion 51 of the card feed finger 56, and

- advanced through the slot 61 in the magazine 53 and into engagement with the card feed rollers .15 and 16 which will advance the card until it pair of eccentrics I6I (Figs. 4 and 9) which have cooperating therewith collars I62 (Figs. 4 and 9) having extending upwardly therefrom drive rods I63. The upper ends of the drive rods I63 are pinned at I64 to the file card sensing head 45. The file card sensing head comprises a rectangular framework composed of end pieces I 65 and I66, a cross member I61 and a cross bar I68 (Figs. 1, 4, and 9). The end pieces I65 and I66 as shown in Fig. 9 have extending downwardly therefrom apertured guide sleeves- I69 and I10, respectively, through the apertures in which guide rods HI and I12 extend, the guide rods being mounted upon and extending upwardly from extensions I13 and I14 formed integrally with the side plates I5 and I6, respectively.

Slidably mounted on the cross rfiember I61 and the cross bar I68 is a sensing pin supporting member I16 (Figs. 4 and 9) having a threaded aperture I 11 adapted to be threadedly engaged by a positioning screw I18 joumaled in the end pieces I65 and I66 and provided at its right end (Fig. 9) with an actuating handle I19. As the description progresses, the purpose of the positioning screw I18 and its actuating handle I19 will become apparent.

Secured to the underside of the sensing pin supporting member I16 are a pair of blocks I80 and I8I (Fig. 4) to which is secured a plate I82 of insulating material forming a part of a pin box designated-8enerally by the numeral I83. The pin box I83 comprises a pair of side plates I84 and I85 secured at their upper ends to the underside of the plate I82 and having fixed to the upper surface of the plate I88 and reduced portions extending through apertures I94 and I95 in the plates I88 and -I82, respectively. Coil springs I98 encircle theupper ends of the pins and engage the underside of the plate I82 and a shoulder formed by the enlarged portion I9I thereof for normally urging the pins downwardly. I

In the particular machine chosen, for illus tration, there are provided 66 of these pins arranged in 6 columns of 11 each for cooperating with 6 metallic contact bars I98 of a group of metallic contact bars set into a plate I99 of insulating material. The plate I99 of isulating material is mounted in the brackets 84 and H8 and has the 45 contact bars I98 positioned therein in such a manner as to lie directly under the 45 rows of hole positions in a statistical card. The pin box I83 may be shifted to the'right or left (Fig. 9) by manipulating the actuating handle I19 so as to associate the pin box with any 6 successive contact bars I 98, one turn displacing the pin box the space of one card column to right or left.

The lower card-feed rollers I25 and I28 (Fig 4) extend through slots formed in the plate I99 and cooperate with upper card feed rollers 2H and 2I2 (Fig. 4) respectively, which are freely rotatable on the ends of bell crank levers 2 I3 and 2, respectively, pivoted at 2I5 and 2I8 to the brackets 84 and H8 having their upper ends urged towards each other by coil springs 2 I1 and H8, respectively, for normally urging the rollers 2H and H2 downwardly into engagement with the card feed rollers I25 and I28. r

A slot 2I8 formed in the plate I99 and extending throughout the length of the plate is adapted to receive the end of a plunger 228 (Fig. 4) when there is no .card in position under the file card sensing head 45. When a card is in position under the sensing head the plunger 22!! will engage the card and be moved upwardly to close a circuit between electrical contacts HI and 222 suitably mounted 'on the plate I82 (F18. 4).

Mounted to reciprocate with the sensing head 48 is a card stop 223 (Figs. 4 and 9) which is secured to the end pieces I85 and I88 of the file card sensing head, and upon reciprocation of the sensing head this card stop 223 will be moved downwardly with the sensing head in timed relation to the advancement of a card from the file card magazine 53 under the file card sensing head 45 and its lower end will be placed in the path of the card to stop it from advancing out of the sensing head. A card which has encountered the card stop 223 will be so positioned as to cause a relative upward movement of the plunger 228 (Fig. 4) with respect to the file card sensing head 45 uponthe head being moved downward to complete a. circuit between the contacts MI and 222. The trailing end (Fig. 4) of ,a card which has encountered the card stop 223 will lie to the right of the extreme left hand row of sensing pins I98 so that these pins will engage the contact bars I98 with which the sensing head 45 is associated with each downward operation of the sensing head 45. The 10 right hand rows of sensing pins (Fig. 4) having pins which encounter apertures in the card thereunder will pass those pins through the card and make contact with the contact bars I98 with which they are associated to complete an electrical circuit, as will be described in detail hereinafter.

The next time the electromagnet 34 is operated, the card feed finger 51 will select a new card from the bottom of the file card magazine and advance it toward the file card sensing head 45, and the file card sensing head in moving upwardly will carry with it the card stop 223 moving it out of the path of the card under the sensing head, which card will then be advanced by the card feed rollers which are rotating continuously and the new file card willbe positioned under the sensing head. The path of the file card, after it leaves the file card sensing head, will be determined by the circuits completed by the mechanism positioned in the file card sensing head, two alternate paths being provided for the card depending upon whether the card has perforated therein in a position under the sensing pins a number which corresponds to a number in a similar area of an item card which is being simultaneously sensed, or whether a number which does not correspond to the number in the sensed area of the item card, and these paths remain open until a card is advanced past the point where the paths divide.

The item card sensing mechanism 3 as shown in Figs. ,2, 6 and '7, is substantially the same as the file card sensing mechanism I and is driven from the main drive shaft I4 which has, as will be seen by reference to Fig. 7, positioned thereon between the side plates and I8 a clutch mechanism 2 for connecting item card feeding and sensing mechanisms to the shaft I4 at predetermined intervals. It will be noted at this time that the item feeding and sensing operations are carried on at one-third the speed of the sensing and feeding of the file cards since obviously there will be a larger number of file cards than item cards to be compared, This difference of speed in the feeding of cards will be apparent by comparing Figs. 4 and '1, particularly the gearing for picking cards from the magazine and sensing them. It was mentioned in connection with the feeding and sensing of the file cards that there were provided, in the movable clutch member 28, three camming slots into which the stop 32 might be moved. The construction of clutch 24I is the same as the clutch which operates the file card feeding and sensing mechanisms except that there is provided in the periphery of the movable clutch member only one camming slot for stopping the rotation of the clutch, and the gear ratio arrangement provided for the item card sensing mechanism is such that for each rotation of the shaft I4 during which the faces of clutch 24I are engaged, one card will be sensed by the item card sensing station, whereas if the cards sensed by the file card sensing station do not correspond to those sensed in the item card sensing station, three cards will be sent through the file card sensing station during one revolution of shaft. I4.

The clutch 2 is operated by an electromagnet 242 (Fig. 7) having an armature 243 carrying a stop member 244 which, upon energization of the electromagnet 242, permits the clutch 2 to drive a gear 245 through one complete revolution. Freely rotatable upon a stud shaft 248 mounted on a bracket 248 extending upwardly from the base plate II, is a gear 241 which meshes with the gear 245, and has pivoted eccentrically thereon one end of a link 248. The other end of the link 248 is pivoted intermediate the ends of a lever 249 which in turn is oscillatable upon a shaft 250 mounted in the lower portion of side plates 251 and 252 of an item card magazine 253. Pinned to the upper end of the lever 249 is a link 254 connected to a depending portion 255 of an item card feed finger 256 which is adapted to engage the lowermost card of a stack of cards 251 positioned in the magazine 253 and advance it, with the nine hole position first, through a slot 258 upon oscillation of the lever 249 due to the rotation of the gear 241.

After an item card 251 has been advanced through the slot 258, it .will be engaged. by a chain of card feed rollers continuously driven from the 'main drive shaft 14, and will be fed under an item card sensing head designated generally by the numeral 259. The card feed rollers for advancing the item cards are driven from the main shaft 14 by the following mechanism: Secured to the side plate 18 is a journal block 261 (Fig. 7) in which there is positioned a shaft 262 having a beveled gear 263 formed on the lower end thereof and meshing with a beveled gear 264 fast to the shaft 14. The upper end of the shaft 262 carries a beveled gear 265 which meshes with a beveled gear 266 pinned to a horizontally extending drive shaft 261 (Figs. 2 and 7). The drive shaft 261 is journaled in brackets 268 and 269 extending outwardly from a main supporting bracket 21!) secured to the side plate 18. Mounted upon the drive shaft 261 are a plurality of beveled gears 211, 212, 213, 214, 215 and a spiral gear 216 (Fig. 2). The beveled gears 211 to 215, inclusive, mesh with beveled gears 211, 218, 219, 280, and 281, respectively, and the spiral gear 216 meshes with another spiral gear 300. The

beveled gears 211, 218, 219, 280 and 281 are mounted upon shafts 282, 283, 284, 285 and 286 (Fig. 7)., which have fixed thereto lower card feed rollers 281, 288, 290 and 291, respectively, and the spiral gear 309 is pinned to a pair of drums 292 rotatable about a shaft 293 fixed in the main supporting bracket 210 and a bracket 381 which is secured to the side plate 11. The

shafts 282 to 286 are Journaled in the main supporting bracket 210 and the bracket 301.

The card feed rollers Just described are, as pointed out hereinbefore, constantly driven and cooperate with upper card feed rollers to be described in detail hereinafter, which hold the card firmly in position between the sets of rollers for advancing it.

The shaft 293 (Fig. '7) has pinned thereto cams 294 for cooperating with cam levers 295 having card gripping fingers 296 extending through the periphery of the drums 292. The cam levers 295 are urged into engagement with the cam 294 by coil springs 291 and are pivoted to the sides of the drums 292 at 298. This last described structure is the conventional type of card pickup drum for depositing cards in a card receptacle 299 of the usual type. Shaft 293 and cam 294 do not move, but the card gripping fingers 296 and the drums 292 are moved in timed relation to the advancement of cards thereto so that one of the card gripping fingers 296 associated with each drum 292 will be cammed away from the periphery of the drum and will be in a position to receive a card advanced thereto and clamp it against the periphery of the drum for depositing it inthe card receptacle 299 as the druni rotates in a clockwise-direction (Fig. 7).

The item card sensing head 259 (Figs. 2, 6 and 7) is an exact duplicate of the file card sensing head 45 and is reciprocated by means of eccentrics 311 mounted upon a shaft 312 having secured thereto a gear 313 which meshes with the gear 245 and is driven thereby. It will be apparent on each rotation of the shaft 312 a complete reciprocation of the item card sensing head 259 will take place; that is, it will bemoved upwardly away from a card which has'been advanced thereunder and down into engagement with a second card which has been advanced from the magazine by the card feeding mechanism. The gear 313 will of course be driven in synchronism with the gear 241 since both of them mesh with the gear 245 and for each rotation of the gear 241 to feed a card, the gear 313 will be moved through one complete rotation to disengage the item card sensing head 259 from a card positioned thereunder to permit it to be withdrawn from under the item card sensing head by the card feed rollers and the item card sensing head will then be moved downwardly to engage the card just advanced from the magazine 253.

The item card sensing head reciprocating mechanism includes eccentric collars 316 (Figs. 6 and 7) which cooperate with the eccentrics 3| 1 and have extending upwardly therefrom drive rods 311. The upper end of the drive rods 311 are pinned at 318 to the item card sensing head 259. Like the file card sensing head the item card sensing head comprises a rectangular framework composed of end pieces 319 and 320, a cross member 321, and a cross bar 322 (Figs. 2, 6 and 7). The end pieces 319 and 321i have secured thereto sleeves 323 and 324 (Fig. 2), respectively, through the apertures of which guide rods 325'and 326 extend, the guide rods being mounted upon and extending upwardly from extensions similar to those shown at 113 and 114 of the file card sensing head, but formed integrally with the side plates 18 and 11, respectively.

Slidably mounted on the cross member 321 and the cross bar 322 is a sensing pin supporting member 3311 having a threaded aperture 321 adapted to be threadedly engaged by a positioning screw 328 journaled in the end pieces 319 and 329 and provided with an actuating handle 329. The purpose of the positioning screw 328 and its cooperating parts will become apparent as the description progresses.

Secured to the underside of the sensing pin supporting member 3311 are a pair of blocks 333 and 334 (Figs. 6 and '7) to which is secured a plate 335 of insulating material forming a part of a pin box designated generally by the numeral 336. The pin box 336 includes a pair of side plates 331 and 338 (Figs. 6 and 7) secured at their upper ends to the underside of the plate 335 and having fixed to their lower ends a plate of insulating material 333.

In the pin box 336 there are positioned a plurality of sensing pins 343 having their ends extending beyond the plates 335 and 339 and being provided with enlarged portions 344, the lower ends of which engage the plate 339 and the upper ends of which ,engage compression springs 345 surrounding the pin and in engagement with the plate 335. The compression springs 345 normally tend to maintain the pins 343 in their lowermost position with the enlarged portions 344 engaging the upper surface of the plate 339.

As in the'file card sensing head there are 66 of these pins provided, arranged in columns of 11 each, for cooperating with any 6 successive metallic contact bars 346 of agroup of 45 metallic contacts bars set into a plate 341 of insulating material mounted similarly to the insulating plate containing the metallic contact bars I38 of the file card sensing head.

The'pin box 336 may be actuated so as to place the sensing pins 343 in operative association with any 6 metallic contact bars 346 by manipulating the actuating handle 323 so as to rotate the positioning screw 328, one turn of which displaces the pin box one card columns space.

. Upper card feed rollers 35I, 352, 353, 354, 355 and 356 (Figs. 6 and '7) are associated with the lower card feed rollers 281, 288, 283 and 238 and serve the same purpose in the item card sensing position as do the rollers 15, 2, 2I2, I35, 15, I25, I28 and I21 in the filecard sensing station; "that is, they tend to advance a card through the item card sensing station, the lower rollers being constantly driven and the upper rollers being free to rotate with the lower rollers and being normally urged downwardly into engagement therewith for advancing a card through the item card sensing station.

A pair of contacts 36I and 362 (Figs. 6 and '1) are secured to the pin box 336 in the item card sensing head and operate in the same manner as do the contacts HI and 222 in the file card sensing head, a circuit being completed between the contacts when the item card sensing head 253 is moved downwardly and finds a card positioned thereunder. A card stop 363 similar to the card stop 223 of the file card sensing head is provided in the item card sensing head for stopping a card under the item card sensing headeach time the head reciprocates. From the foregoing descrip tion of the item card sensing mechanism it will be apparent that it operates in exactly the same manner as does the file card sensing head, there being this exception, however, that due to the gear ratio for driving the two sensing heads from the main drive shaft I4, the item cards will be sensed at one-third the speed of the file cards since, as will be obvious, a file card mus. be found to correspond with eacn item card in order to render the system operative and therefore the file cards, unless a card is found which corresponds to the card positioned in the item card sensing head, operates at three times the speed of the item card sensing mechanism. This, however,. is the only distinction between the two mechanisms as regards the sensing of cards. The details of operation of these cooperating sensing mechanisms will be described hereinafter in conjunction with the opefition of the machine as a whole.

If the item and file card sensing heads 253 and 45, respectively, have not found a file card which corresponds to the item card held in position under the item card sensing head 253 no circuits will have been completed by the sensing pins to energize the electromagnet 242 which was energized once when the machine was started to advance one card into and under the item card sensing head where it is held by the card stop 363. In this event, the file cards will follow' a predetermined path until a file card is found which corresponds to the card held in the item card sensing station 253 whereupon that particular file card which agrees with the held item card will be deflected along a diiferent path from the preceding cards.

While searching for a file card the compared area of which agrees with the compared area of the card held in the item card sensing head 253 successive cards will be picked from the bottom of the file card magazine 53 (Figs. 1 and 4) and advanced under the file card sensing head 45 where they will be compared with the card held in the item card sensing head 253 (Figs. 2 and '1), and if the areas being compared do not agree, the file card sensing head 45 (Fig. 4) will move upwardly and permit the card feed rollers 2I I, I25, 2I2 and I26 to advance the card to the card feed rollers I21 and I35 which will direct the card over the upper surfaces of a card deflector 3" to card feed roller I28 and I36 (Fig. 4), I23 and I31 (Fig. 5) from which rollers the card will be dropped upon a shiftable plate 312 and permitted to descend into a file card receptacle 313 (Fig. 5) which may be of any well known type.

The card deflector 31I is normally in the position shown in Fig. 4 and will thus permit the cards to be directed over it and into the receptacle 313 (Fig. 5). However, whenever'the item card sensing head 253 and the file card sensing head 45 find cards which agree, circuits will be completed in the manner described hereinafter to hold the file card in the file card sensing head 45 until an item card is found by the item card sensing head 253, the compared area of which does not correspond with the compared area of the file card, whereupon the file card sensing mechanism will be operated and the card deflector 31I will be raised to direct the file card downwardly into engagement with card feed rollers 311 and 318 (Fig. 4). When this occurs the card deflector 31I will be moved to the position shown in Fig. 4 and the shiftable plate 312 (Fig. 5) will be raised and held in its raised position until a new file card is perforated and sent to the receptacle 313. The shiftable plate 312 will thus hold all of the file cards advanced thereto while the perforating mechanism is perforating a. new card and until the new card is advanced to the receptacle 313 at which time it will be permitted to drop and discharge the cards which it held into the receptacle 313 in their proper order on top of the newly perforated card. The mechanism for operating the shiftable plate will be described in detail in conjunction with the description of the circuits for controlling the system.

The card deflector 3" comprises a C-shaped member 385 (Fig. 4) hinged to the shaft III and having extending upwardly from its horizontal portion an arm 386 to which and to the bracket II8 a contractile spring 381 is secured for normally urging the horizontal portion of the C- shaped member 385 into engagement with a stop member 383 so that cards being passed through the file card sensing head will normally be directed to the receptacle 313 (Fig. 5). However, upon completion of thecircuits just mentioned, an electromagnet 383 will be energized and through a link 338 interconnecting its solenoid 331 and the arm 388 will tilt the C-shaped member 385 upwardly to deflect the next card, coming from the file card sensing head downwardly into engagement with the rollers 311 and 318.

Beneath the card feed roller 311 are card feed rollers 313, 332, 333 and 334 and beneath the card feed roller 318 are card feed rollers 335, 336 and 331 for directing a card advanced thereto downwardly to a pair of card picker drums 338 (Fig. 4) which deposit the cards in a receptacle (not shown) positioned beneath the drums 388. The card picker drums 338 and their associated receptacle are of the same construction as the card picker drums 292 and the receptacle 299 described in connection with the item card sensing head card feeding system and a detailed description thereof is not believed to be necessary.

-The card feed rollers 318, 395, 398 and 391 (Fig. 4) are mounted upon shafts 405, 406, 401 and 408, respectively, and are positively driven, the shafts 405 to 408, inclusive, being journaled in the side plates l and I6. Fixed to shafts 405, 408, 401 and 408 (Fig. 15) are worm gears 409, 0, 4H and 2 which mesh with worm gears 3, 414, US and 5, respectively, fixed to a shaft 1 journaled in brackets M8 and H9 secured to the side plate [5 and carrying at its upper end a beveled gear 420 meshing with a beveled gear 42] pinned to the shaft 83. The drum 398 is mounted upon a shaft 422 also journaled in the side plates l5 and I6, and is driven by a worm 423 mounted upon the end of the shaft 1 and meshing with a worm gear 424 secured to the shaft 422.

by a card engaging roller 319, contact between contacts 43! and 432 being caused by a card engaging roller 382, and contact between contacts 430,433 and 434 being caused by a card engaging roller 384. This is accomplished by mounting the rollers 319, 392 and 394 on arms of bell cranks 384, 435 and 436, respectively, pvoted on the shafts of the card feed rollers 311 and 393 and normally urged toward the driven rollers by springs 449, 431 and 438, respectively, ,pins 450, 438 and 440 being provided on the horizontally extending arms of the bell cranks 384, 435 and 438, respectively, for operating the contacts.

Positioned in horizontal alignment with the card feed rollers 395 and 391 are a series'of brushes 4 and 442, each series containing 45 brushes which, when a card is advanced past the rollers, will be in direct alignment with the 45 rows of possible perforations. These brushes cooperate with the rollers 395 and 391 which are made of metal and which serve as sensing drums to complete electrical circuits as will be described in detail in connection with the description of the circuit connections for the entire machine.

The just described sensing brushes 4 and 442 and card feed rollers 385 and 391 (Fig. 4) operate various electrical apparatus in cooperation with a sensing drum 443 (Fig. 7) and a row of 45 brushes 444 (Figs. 2 and 7) in the item card mechanism to control the electrical circuits when cards which have been compared by the flle and item card sensing heads have been found to agree, and are moved past the brushes. Only those brushes 4, 442 or 444 which will engage the ,cards in the area wherein there is perforated data representing amounts to be computed are connected in the circuit. The means for interconnecting the brushes with the circuit is not shown since any known means may be used and in the circuit diagram (Fig. 14) only seven of each set of brushes are shown and these are shown as permanently connected.

the sensing drum 443 and its associated brushes 444 (Fig. 7) there are provided a plurality of card actuated contacts 445, 448, 441, 448, 449 and 450 which are adapted to be operated by a card in its passage to the sensing drum. Two card rollers 45! and 452 mounted on bell crank levers 453 and 454, respectively, engage the card in its passage to the sensing drum 443 and rock their respective bell cranks about a common pivot 455 mounted on the bracket 210. The bell crank 454 will be actuated first and will, through its upwardly extending arm, cause the contact 449 to engage the contact 450 to complete an electrical circuit between them for a reason which will be apparent as the description progresses. In a like manner the card at approximately the time'it engages the sensing drum 443 will actuate the bell crank 453 and move the contacts 445 and 441 into engagement with the contacts 446 and 448, respectively.

Each time in the operation of the mechanism thus far described that a file card has been found, the compared area of which agrees with the compared area of the item card, an addition to or a withdrawal from stock is indicated and a new file card must be prepared to replace the file card which is thus superseded. The new file card to be prepared must indicate the algebraic sum of the amount of stock on hand as represented by the old flle card and the amount of stock added to or withdrawn from the supply. The perforating mechanism indicated generally by the numeral 2 will prepare a new card under control of the electrical circuits which in turn are controlled by the file and item card sensing mechanisms and the sensing drums and brushes heretofore mentioned, in cooperation with the card operated contacts heretofore described.

The file card perforating mechanism 2 will now-be described in detail:

Positioned at the extreme right end of the brackets 84 and 8 (Fig. 1) is a blank card magazine 415 for holding a supply of imperforate cards 410 from which a card will be drawn at predetermined intervals as controlled by the operation of the file and item card sensing mechanisms. The various parts of the file card perforating mechanism are actuated in synchronism with the operation of the file and item card sensing mechanisms and receive their actuating force from the main drive shaft l4 through -an auxiliary drive shaft 411 (Fig. 1) journaled in brackets 418 and 418 mounted on the base plate H. The shaft 411 at its left end carries a beveled gear 480 which meshes with a beveled gear 48I secured to the shaft l4, and the shaft 411 carries at its right end a second beveled gear 482 meshing with a beveled gear 483 mounted upon a shaft 484 journaled in the side plates i5 and I6 (Figs. 1, 8 and 11) Referring now particularly to Figs. 1, 5, 8 and 11, the shaft 484 has fixed thereto intermediate its ends a driving clutch member 485 (Fig. 8) and has rotatably mounted thereon a gear 488 to which there is attached'a movable clutch member 481 adapted to be driven by the clutch member 485 through one revolution under control of an electromagnet 488 mounted on the base plate II and having its armature 489 adapted to enter a slot 480 in the clutch member 481. This single revolution clutch which will be referred to hereinafter as the perforator clutch 49| is substantially the same as the clutches through which the item and file card mechanisms are driven. The

ing clutch member 495 by a stop 492 mounted on the armature 489 and adapted to engage the slot 490 of the clutch member 491. Meshing with the gear 496 is a gear 50I (Figs. and 8) mounted upon a shaft .502 journaled in the side plates I5 and I6 and a gear 503 rotatable on a stud shaft 504 mounted on a bracket 505 which in turn is mounted upon the base plate H. There is pinned eccentrically of the gear 503 one end of a. link 505, the other end of which is pinned to a. rocker arm 501 pivoted to the side plates I5 and I6. The upper end ofthe rocker arm 501 has a link 508 pivotally secured thereto which is also pivoted to a depending portion 509 of a card picker finger 5I0 slidably' mounted in the bottom of the magazine 415 and operable similarly to the card picker fingers of the item and file card magazines.

It will be apparent that each time the gear 486 moves through one complete revolution, the gear 503 will also pass through one complete revolution, and will actuate the card picker finger 5I0 to advance a card 416 from the bottom of the magazine 415 to the feed rollers I34 and I40 which will further advance the blank card into a perforator headindicated generally by the numeral 5 (Figs. 5, 8 and Y11).

Each time a cardis advanced to the perforator head 5 the he'adwill be reciprocated through the operation oftheshaft 502 which will be rotated through one revolution due to its interconnection with the shaft 484 by means of the clutch 49I and the gears 485 and 50!. Fixed to the outer ends of the shaft 502 are a pair of cams 5I5 and 5I6 (Figs. 8 and 11) provided with cam grooves 5I 1 and 5I 9, respectively, in which travel cam rollers M9 and 520, respectively, secured to the ends of reciprocable bars HI and 522. The upper ends of the bars 52I and 522 are pinned at 523 and 524 to a ram indicated generally by the numeral 525. The ram 525 is provided with bearings 525 and 521 which surround guide pins 528 and529 mounted upon brackets 530 and 53I, respectively. The bars 52| and 522 are slidably mounted in guides 532 and 533, respectively, and it will be apparent that upon their being moved by the cams 5I5 and 5l5 the ram 525 will be reciprocated on its guide pins 528 and 529.

The central portion (Figs. 5 and 8) of the ram 525 is formed in two sections; a driving plate 540 and a stripper plate 5. The driving plate 540 has formed on the underside thereof a depending portion 539 slotted as shown at 539, there being 45 slots in the portion 538 which extend from the front to the back thereof (Fig. 8). In the stripper plate there are provided a pluralityof apertures 542, 4 50 in number, which are arranged in 45 columns of apertures each, and in each of which there is slidably suspended a perforating pin 543 having a pin 544 therein which normally rests upon the upper surface of the stripper plate 5.

Positioned directly below the ram 525 and mounted on the brackets 94 and H9 (Fig. 8) is a perforating pin guide box 545 comprising a top guide plate 546, a lower guide plate 541, and side plates 548 and 549. The guide plates- 546 and 541 each have four hundred and fifty apertures therein in direct alignment with the apertures in the stripper plate 5 and serve to guide the perforating pins 543 when they are actuated. The lower guide plate 541 is spaced upwardly slightly from the bottom edge of the side plates 1 548 and 549 to permit the passage of a card between it and a die plate 550 secured to the lower surfaces of the side plates 549 and 549, which die plate is provided with -apertures in alignment with the apertures in the stripper plate 5 and the guide plates 546 and 541-so that if a card is in position in the perforator head 5 and one or several of the perforating pins are driven downwardly by the ram 525'in the manner to be described hereinafter, they will perforate a hole or holes in the card.

Upper card feed rollers 55I and 552 (Figs. 5 and 8) are mounted on horizontally extending arms 553 and 554 of bell crank levers 555 and 555, pivoted to the side plates 548 and 549 at 551 and 558, respectively. Vertically extending arms of the bell crank levers 555 and 556 are normally urged toward the center 'of the perforator head 5 (Fig. 5) by contractile springs 559 and560. The cardfeed rollers 55I and 552 cooperate with the positively driven card feed rollers I33 and I32, respectively, and will tend to advance a card which has been directed thereto by the card feed rollers I34 and I40 through the perforator head 5i I. However, there is secured to the ram 525.,at its left side (Fig. 5)

a card stop.55I which,-when the ram is moved downwardly, will be interposed in the path of the card and will prevent the card from being advanced out of the head until the ram is moved upwardly at the completion of a punch stroke, a portion of the card stop-5H being adapted to be moved into the path of the card between the die plate 550 and the lower guide plate 541. When the ram 525 moves upwardly carrying with it the card stop 56I, a card which has been perforated will be advanced by the card rollers to the left (Fig. 5) and into engagement with a deflecting member 562 into the receptacle 319, the plate 312 always being held'in the position shown by the dotted lines when a card is moved from under the perforator 5| I.

The selection of perforating pins for actuation by the ram 525 is accomplished by providing a selector bar 5H for each of the 45 columns of perforating pins and by providing mechanism for selectively advancing this selector bar through predetermined distances to select a pin for actuation. The selection of perforating pins for actuation is determined and controlled by the sensing brushes and rollers provided in the file card sensing station and the register 4, the amount of advancement of the selector bar determining which particular pin' in the column of 10 pins associated with that particular bar is to be actuated.

Secured to the shaft 502 adjacent the side wall I5 is a cam 512 provided with a cam groove 513 in which is'positioned a: cam roller 514 (Figss, 8 and 12) mounted on the end of a lever 515 pivotally mounted in the bracket "9. The end of the lever 515 away from the cam roller 514 is slotted as shown at 519 for receiving a pin 511 attached to a reciprocable rack 518 (Figs. 1 and 5) which is slidable in brackets 519 and 590. The rack 519 meshes with a gear 59I mounted upon a shaft 582 journaled in upwardly extendving portions 593 and 594 of the brackets 84 and I'll. Secured to the shaft 582 is a segmental gear 595 into engagement. with which a rack 596 formed on'the end of each of the selector bars 51l may be moved for actuating the bars 5". The selector bars 51I are each positioned in the 

